Hair drier



p 195'6 J. LECLABART HAIR DRIER Filed Sept. 10, 1953 klllprl R w m V A .m@ n L C E L n m. T

United States HAIR DRIER Jean Leclabart, Paris, France Application September 10, 1953, Serial No. 379,365

Claims priority, application France June 15, 1950 6 Claims. (Cl. 34--72) This invention relate in general to hair-dressing and more particularly to a novel and improved hair-drying apparatus.

Hitherto known hair-driers have the inconvenience of drying the hair to such a degree that the hairs are withered and de-hydrated. This is attended by the following detrimental consequences:

(a) The flexibility, lustre and vitality of the hair are seriously impaired, the hair having very frequently a stiff and cockled appearance after the drying operation;

(b) The hair dried through this conventional method comprises an Outer over-dried crust or layer, and the inner layers are in most cases insufliciently dried because this outer layer acts as a screen and prevent the hot air stream from reaching the innermost layers of hairs;

(c) The withering and de-hydration of the hair cause an increase in the potential of static electricity of the hair which becomes highly charged with electricity, this phenomenon being still more apparent and inconvenient when a comb of insulating material contacts the hair. Since, as a rule, hair combs are made of insulating material, this makes hair-dressing very difiicult if not impossible, since the hairs tend to move away from one another.

Due to these difficulties of dressing withered and electrified hairs, hair-dressers are frequently compelled either to moisten the hair slightly with a liquid or to impregnate it with a suitable product to facilitate its handling and shaping. However, this procedure obviously is but a makeshift and the qualities of the hair remain altered by its previous withering.

In view of the foregoing, it is the essential object of this invention to provide a novel hair-drier comprising a suitable device for adding steam to the hot air produced by theapparatus. This device may consist of an atomizer or jet adapted to inject water vapor into the hot air before the latter is blown onto the hair. According to a preferred form of embodiment, this device consists of a porous or spongy body soaked with water or an aqueous liquid, and is positioned in the stream of hot air just before the latter enters the hair, so that this hot air will be charged automatically with steam as it flows past this porous or spongy body. To enable this porous or spongy body to be readily re-soaked with water in the interval between two successive hair drying operations this body will be preferably carried by the perforated end portion of a pipe the other end of which emerges from the outer surface of the drier, the water or aqueous liquid being introduced through this last-mentioned pipe end.

By so mixing steam with the hot air blown onto the hair the latter is efiiciently protected against excessive withering, even if the hair-dresser operated the hair-drier beyond the time normally required for completing the operation. The hair-drier according to this invention is advantageous in that it avoids not only the withering of the hair but also the electrifying thereof, so that the hair retains its normal flexibility and vitality and can be dressed very easily.

Experience teaches that the addition of water vapor to HCC the hot air in the drying apparatus does not increase the time normally required to complete the hair-drying operation. Of course, the water vapor must be added to the drying hot air in adequate quantity. In fact, if this quantity were too small, the hair-drier would offer the same inconvenience as those characterizing conventional, hitherto known types; if a too large amount of steam were used, the time period required for completing the operation would be too long and finally the drying obtained would be insuflicient. Practical tests carried out in this connection have proved that the proper amount of water or aqueous liquid admixed in vapor form to the drying air should preferably range from 4 to 15 cc. For example, in a normal hair-drying operation this amount will be preferably of 6 to 8 cc. of water or aqueous liquid. Therefore, the total external surface of a porous or spongy body soaked with water must have a value suflicient to enable the hot air to be loaded automatically with the desired amount of water vapor, and it has been calculated that this total surface should range from 7% sq. in. t0 15 /2 sq. in.

Other specific features and advantages of the hair-drier according to the invention will appear hereafter in the description of three preferred forms of embodiment of the apparatus made with reference to the attached drawings, it being understood however that these embodiments are given for the purpose of illustration, not of limitation.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatical cross-sectional view showing I a first form of embodiment;

Fig. 2 is a similar view concerning another form of embodiment;

Fig. 3 is a more detailed view of another form of embodiment of a type similar to that shown in Fig. 2;

Figs. 4 and 5 are two plane views from above showing the two essential components of the drier shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of the hair-drier according to Fig. 3 in its position of use.

Referring first to the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1, the helmet a to be applied on the head of the customer Whose hair is to be dried comprises a small container b filled with water or any other suitable aqueous liquid; this container b communicates through an orifice-forming calibrated jet c with the inside of a conduit :1 through which hot air is led into the helmet a. The stream or air circulated in the conduit d carries along the droplets of liquid spilling from the outlet orifice of the jet, and these droplets are converted instantaneously into vapor by the heat conveyed by the hot air.

In the form of embodiment illustrated in Fig. 2, a cylindrical body e having a perforated wall is detachably mounted in the wall of the helmet a so that it can be introduced in the fashion of a drawer into the helmet and across the stream of hot air coming through the conduit d. In this perforated cylinder e a spongy material soaked with water or another aqueous liquid is placed. Before commencing the drying operation, the cylinder e containing its spongy or porous body is withdrawn and immersed in water or any other adequate liquid; then the cylinder is refitted onthe helmet and hot' air is produced in the usual manner. Thus, the hot air flows across the perforations in the cylinder wall and contacts or flows through the moist substance contained therein, so as to carry along the water vapor produced by the action exerted by the heat of the air stream'on the moist element in the cylinder.

The hair-drier shown in Fig. 3 is similar to that illustrated in Fig. 2 and comprises likewise at least one porous or spongy body disposed across the stream of hot air and soaked with water or an aqueous liquid before commencing the drying operation. This hair-drier comprises a bellshaped main casing 1 divided into two portions by an inner wall or partition 2 extending at rightangles to the axis of the apparatus. The upper portion 1a of the main casing 1 is dome-shaped and contains an electro motor 3 secured to the wall 2, and the shaft 4 of this motor extends through this wall 2, as shown. The lower end of this shaft 4- has keyed thereon a turbine wheel 5 having suitable blades 5a, as shown in Fig. 5 in plane view from above.

The lower portion of the main casing 1 is doublewalled and the upper edge of the outer wall 6 thereof merges with the circular bottom edge of the domeshaped upper portion 1a of the outer casing and also with the outer peripheral edge of the partition 2. The lower wall 7 of this lower portion of the main casing 1 has mounted therein a helmet 8 adapted to receive the head of the customer whose hair is to be dried. This helmet 8 is formed with a large number of small perforations 10. The lower edge of the helmet 8 is coincident with the lower edge of the inner-wall 7, as shown, a rubber or like sealing gasket 9 being provided therebetween.

The upper edge of the inner wall 7 supports a cylindrical, cap-shaped member the cylindrical outer wall of which forms an upper extension of the aforesaid inner wall 7, and the top wall 24a of this cap-shaped member extends in parallel relationship with, and at a short distance from, the transverse wall 2. Besides, the top wall 24a is formed with a large central aperture 25 corresponding to the centre 20 of the turbine wheel 5.

An inner cap-shaped casing 11 surrounds the helmet 10 so as to leave a certain gap therebetween. This inner casing 11 comprises an upper, frusto-conical portion and a lower, cylindrical portion, the latter being also positioned at a certain distance from the lower portion of the aforesaid inner wall 7. In the space extending from this inner casing 11 to the turbine wheel 5 a set of electrical heating resistors 12 are mounted.

Finally, the inner and outer walls 7, 6 of the lower portion of the main casing 1 carry a radial pipe 13 of which one end emerges from the outer wall 6 of the casing; the other end 13 of this pipe is T-shaped and the outer ends of the cross member of the T are bent to form a pair of side branches 15 extending on either side of a common diametral plane of the apparatus or preferably on either side of the top portion of the inner casing 11. The outer ends of the branches 15 are positioned in the central region of the apparatus. These branches are each formed with perforations 16 but their ends are closed. Surrounding the perforated portion of each branch 15 is a sleeve 17 of porous or spongy material. The outer end 14 of the radial pipe 13 is mountedin the walls 6 and 7 of the apparatus in a position diametrally opposite to that of the stand or supporting arm 26 of the hair-drier, that is on the side where the main casing 1 is slightly raised. Thus, the pipe 13 is inclined and its outer end 14 is positioned at a higher level than the ends of the side branches 15 (see Figs. 4 and 6).

Before commencing the drying operation, water or a suitable aqueous liquid is introduced by means of a suitable device, for instance a rubber bulb 18, into the outer end 14 of the pipe 13. This liquid, due to the inclination of the pipe, is trapped therein. The pipe 13 and its branches 15 have a capacity of from 6 to 8 cc. of liquid. The latter soaks up the porous or spongy sleeves 17 immediately, the total external surface of each sleeve being about 5% sq. in.

When the motor 3 is started, the turbine wheel 5 project with a substantial force a streamof air through the electrical heating resistors 12. The air thus heated, or at least the portion thereof which circulates through the central part of the drier, contacts the outer surface of both sleeves 17 soaked with water or an aqueous liquid and is therefore loaded automatically with water vapor. Thus substantial quantity of moisture-carrying .hot air is deflected toward the wall 7 by the upper inclined or bulged portion of the inner casing 11. As a result, this moisture-carrying air fraction joins the other hot air fraction circulating along the inner face of the wall 7. These two fractions are subsequently stirred with force and when the resulting mixture reaches the bottom edges of both walls 7 and 11,

the water steam is distributed in a uniform and regular.

manner therethrough.

Therefore, the upper portion of the inner casing 11 acts as a deflector ensuring the mixing of the vapor-laden fraction of hot air with the other fraction of hot air blown by the turbine wheel. The presence of this deflector is extremely useful if not absolutely necessary, because the water-soaked sleeves 17 have a relatively reduced surface and cannot receive the whole of, the hot air from the turbine. The hot-air containing water vapor circulates along the casing ll'down to the lower edge thereof and is then deflected upwards through the annular interval separating this inner casing 11 from the perforated helmet 8. Thus, the moisture-carrying hot air penetrates into the helmet 8 firstly through the perforations 10 thereof which are positioned at close proximity of the lower edge of the helmet, then through the perforations 10 adjacent to the top of the helmet.

The inner casing 11 prevents the moisture-laden hotair from contacting directly the upper part of the helmet 8, as this would cause the upper portion of the helmet to have a higher degree of moisture and temperature than the lower portion thereof. With the arrangement advocated herein, the hot air is directed firstly toward the lower portion of the helmet 8 and the fraction of hot air reaching the upper portion of the helmet has a longer distance to travel, Without however any risk of cooling since it contacts the inner face of the inner casing .11 already heated by the hot air impinging directly thereon as it leaves the heating resistors 12. As a result, hot air is distributed within the helmet 8 at a substantially uniform temperature at all level thereof.

Of course, the relatively small holes 10 formed in the helmet 8 act as air-projecting orifices or nozzles so that air is blown there-through with a certain force or under a certain pressure. This air penetrates into the helmet 8 in the form of high-speed small streams adapted to flow across the whole mass of hair so as. to impinge against the scalp and subsequently be deflected thereby; this ensures a perfect drying of the hair in depth.

As will appear from Fig. 3 of the drawing, the inner wall 7 and the outer wall 6 form together an annular vacuum chamber of which the upper portion communi cates at 19 with the central portion 20 of the turbine Wheel 5, whilst the lower portion of this annular chamber communicates with the surrounding atmosphere through a gap 21 provided between the lower edges of wall 7 and helmet 8. Thus, the used air flowing through the hair is sucked up by this vacuum chamber and blown again through the resistor 12 and over the pair of porous or spongy sleeves 17, before returning to the helmet 8. The provision of this vacuum chamber surrounding the inner wall 7 avoids a detrimental loss of heat to .the outside because this wall 7 does not contact the outer atmosphere but only the used air which is still relatively warm. Moreover, the air recovered is reheated automatically on contacting the inner wall 7.

Besides, in the lower portion of the dome-shaped member 1a perforations 22 are formed for sucking in fresh air which, before reaching the central portion 20 of the turbine wheel 5, flows around the motor 3 and inside a cylindrical sleeve 23 mounted concentrically thereto, so as to cool the motor and recover the heat developed thereby.

The hair-drier described hereinabove offers many important advantages with respect to hitherto known apparatus of this type, since it dries the hair without however withering it and without increasing its potential of static electricity. The hair dried with the apparatus according to this invention has no outer crust and all the hairs are dried uniformly without being de-hydrated.

Therefore, the above-described drier constitutes an improvement over prior art apparatus, and in addition it possesses the following essential features:

(I) The addition of water vapor to the circulating hot air occurs in an easy and automatic manner through the water-soaked porous body or bodies used, and it is obvious that this device cannot get out of order;

(11) The apparatus is very simple to use, since the porous body or bodies are re-soaked with water by simply filling the inclined pipe which is designed to hold a certain amount of water;

(III) The water vapor is perfectly distributed throughout the mass of hot air by the deflector constituted by the upper portion of the inner casing surrounding the perforated helmet;

(IV) The hot air is distributed at a same or uniform temperature at all points of the perforated helmet, due to the provision of the aforesaid inner casing.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the specific examples shown in the drawings and described hereinabove for illustrative purposes only, since many modifications and alterations may be brought thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim as new is:

1. A hair-drier comprising a main bell-shaped casing, an air-inlet in said casing, a helmet mounted inside said casing at one end thereof so as to form a drying chamber adapted to receive the upper portion of a head, a plurality of relatively small-sized perforations in said helmet, a fan rotatably mounted in said main casing adjacent to said helmet, electrical heating resistors mounted in said main casing between said fan and said perforated helmet, a pipe mounted in said main casing and having an inlet end opening on the outer surface of said main casing and an outlet and extending in the space between said heating resistors and said perforated helmet, said pipe being adapted to admit and contain a predetermined quantity of an aqueous liquid introduced through said inlet end, at least one aperture in said outlet end, a porous body mounted on said outlet end over said aperture and soaked with the liquid contained in said pipe, said porous body having an external surface of from 7% sq. in. to 15 /2 sq. in., whereby the hot air blown by said fan becomes conveniently loaded with water vapor.

2. A hair drier comprising a main bell-shaped casing, and air-inlet in said casing, a helmet mounted inside said casing at one end thereof so as to form a drying chamber adapted to receive the upper portion of a head, a plurality of relatively small-sized perforations in said helmet, a fan rotatably mounted in said main casing adjacent to said helmet, electrical heating resistors mounted in said main casing between said fan and said perforated helmet, a pipe mounted in said main casing and having an inlet end opening on the outer surface of said main casing and an outlet end extending in the space between said heating resistors and said perforated helmet, said pipe being adapted to admit and contain a quantity of from 4 to 15 cc. of an aqueous liquid introduced through said inlet end, at least one aperture in said outlet end, a porous body mounted on said outlet end over said aperture and soaped with the liquid contained in said pipe, said porous body having an external surface of from 7% sq. in. to 15 /2 sq. in., whereby the hot air blown by said fan becomes conveniently loaded with water vapor.

3. A hair-drier comprising a main bell-shaped casing, an air-inlet in said casing, a helmet mounted inside said casing at one end thereof so as to form a drying chamber adapted to receive the upper portion of a head, a plurality of relatively small-sized perforations in said helmet, a fan rotatably mounted in said main casing adjacent to said helmet, electrical heating resistors mounted in said main casing between said fan and said perforated helmet, a pipe mounted in said main casing and having an inlet end opening on the outer surface of said main casing and an outlet end forming two side branches extending on either side of a transverse plane of the drier in the space between said heating resistors and said perforated helmet, said pipe being adapted to admit and contain a predetermined quantity of an aqueous liquid introduced through said inlet end, a plurality of perforations in said two side branches of said outlet end, a porous body mounted on each side branch of said outlet end, said two porous bodies having a total external surface of from 7 /4 sq. in. to 15 /2 sq. in., whereby the hot air blown by said fan becomes conveniently loaded with water vapor.

4. A hair-drier comprising a main bell-shaped casing, an air-inlet in said casing, a helmet mounted inside said casing at one end thereof so as to form a drying chamber adapted to receive the upper portion of a head, a plurality of relatively small-sized perforations in said helmet, a fan rotatably mounted in said main casing adjacent to said helmet, electrical heating resistors mounted in said main casing between said fan and said perforated helmet, a pipe mounted in said main casing and having an inlet end opening on the outer surface of said main casing and an outlet end extending in the space between said heating resistors and said perforated helmet, said pipe being inclined with its inlet end positioned at a higher level than its outlet end, and said pipe being adapted to admit and contain a predetermined quantity of an aqueous liquid introduced through said inlet end, at least one aperture in said outlet end, a porous body mounted on said outlet end over said aperture and soaked with the liquid contained in said pipe, said porous body having an external surface of from 7% sq. in. to 15 /2 sq. in., whereby the hot air blown by said fan becomes conveniently loaded with water vapor.

S. A hair-drier comprising a main bell-shaped casing, an air-inlet in said casing, a helmet mounted inside said casing at one end thereof so as to form a drying chamber adapted to receive the upper portion of a head, a plurality of relatively small-sized perforations in said helmet, a fan rotatably mounted in said main casing adjacent to said helmet, electrical heating resistors mounted in said main casing between said fan and said perforated helmet, a pipe mounted in said main casing and having an inlet end opening on the outer surface of said main casing and an outlet end extending in the space between said heating resistors and said perforated helmet, said pipe being adapted to admit and contain a predetermined quantity of an aqueous liquid introduced through said inlet end, at least one aperture in said outlet end, a porouns body mounted on said outlet end over said aperture and soaked with the liquid contained in said pipe, said porous body having an external surface of from 7% sq. in. to 15 /2 sq. in., whereby the hot air blown by said fan becomes conveniently loaded with water vapor, a deflector wall disposed between said porous body and said perforated helmet, whereby the hot air loaded with moisture during its passage through and around said soaked porous body is deflected toward the rest of said hot air.

6. A hair-drier comprising a main bell-shaped casing, an air-inlet in said casing, a helmet mounted inside said casing at one end thereof so as to form a drying chamber adapted to receive the upper portion of a head, a plurality of relatively small-sized perforations in said helmet, a fan rotatably mounted in said main casing adjacent to said helmet, electrical heating resistors mounted in said main casing between said fan and said perforated helmet, a pipe mounted in said main casing and having an inlet end opening on the outer surface of said main casing and an outlet end extending in the space between said heating resistors and said perforated helmet, said pipe being adapted to admit and contain a predetermined quantity of an aqueous liquid introduced through said inlet end, at least one aperture in said outlet end, a porous body mounted on said outlet end over said aperture and soaked with the liquid contained in said pipe, said porous body having an external surface of from 7% sq. in. to 15% sq. in.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 19,724 Martin 0a. 15, 1935 1,976,509 Olsen Oct. 9, 1934 2,081,034 Carter May 18, 1937 

